NEW YORK — Oscar Belgal, a 28-year-old Dominican man, will remain in custody after a federal judge denied an emergency release request filed by his attorneys on medical grounds. Belgal was shot in the neck during an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation in the Bronx.
According to the Daily News, Judge Héctor González found that the defense had not met the requirements for emergency release. His attorneys argued that Belgal needed outpatient treatment and that detention could worsen his physical condition.
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The government submitted an evaluation from Brooklyn Hospital Center stating that Belgal did not require surgery or emergency treatment at that time, and that court records cited in the report said he did not need specialized care while detained.
Belgal was wounded on Oct. 8, when ICE agents fired seven shots at his silver Honda Civic on Marble Hill Avenue near West 225th Street. His 5-year-old son was in the back seat and was unharmed.
The Department of Homeland Security said Belgal accelerated toward agents attempting to stop him and used the car as a weapon. The agency said officers did not know a child was inside the vehicle and stated on X that Belgal lacks lawful immigration status.
The Legal Aid Society, which represents Belgal, criticized the ruling and raised concerns about his health. In a statement, it said keeping him detained despite the possibility that his condition could deteriorate raises questions about the care and dignity afforded to him.
Separately, DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said Belgal was allegedly associated with the Trinitarios gang and might have information about last year’s shooting of a federal agent at Fort Washington Park in Manhattan. These are the official’s claims.
The operation prompted protests and renewed scrutiny of ICE’s actions in New York. The Daily News reported that Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who supports abolishing the agency, called the shooting outrageous and accused ICE of spreading chaos and terror.
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